Prevalence and predictors of dysmenorrhea among students at a university in Turkey

Objective To determine the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among Turkish university students and to evaluate the effects of sociodemographic characteristics on the condition. Method A cross‐sectional survey of 857 students conducted by questionnaire in April 2007 at a university in Turkey. A visual analogue scale was used to assess the severity of dysmenorrhea. Data were analyzed using the χ 2 test and logistic regression analysis. Results The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 55.5% (444 out of 800 women). Risk of dysmenorrhea was approximately 1.5‐times higher in women with a satisfactory spending allowance (OR 1.49; 95% CI, 1.05–2.13); 3.5‐times higher in women with a family history of dysmenorrhea (OR 3.48; 95% CI, 2.54–4.78); 1.5‐times higher in women who were underweight compared with overweight/obese women (OR 1.52; 95% CI 0.99–2.33); 1.6‐times higher in women who reported a history of smoking (OR 1.57; 95% CI, 1.10–2.25); and 1.8‐times higher in women with an excessive sugar intake (OR 1.77; 95% CI, 1.15–2.72). Conclusion The high prevalence of dysmenorrhea among Turkish university students is a significant health problem that requires attention.